They Might Be Giants - Flood

Today's album of the day selection, came about in an unusual way.  I was at the office and had a co-worker ask if I could play the They Might Be Giants album that had "Particle Man" on it...  

I haven't listened to Flood in nearly 20 years...  so I was kinda eager to hear a number of tracks on the album.  If you haven't listened to it in a while, you may discover that it's a strange listen.

There's a number of tracks that are under 2 minutes...  the sound and subject matter of the songs run the gamut.  There's songs bout Racist Friends and Minimum Wage...  

There's also a number of amazing songs like Birdhouse in Your Soul.   

If you're unfamiliar with the band, this is possibly the best album to start with.  It's possibly their most accessible album to jump into.

Stand out tracks:

Artists: They Might Be Giants
Album: Flood
Producer: They Might Be Giants, Alan Winstanley, Clive Langer
Label: Elektra
Recorded: Skyline Studios

Metallica - Master of Puppets

When I listened to Megadeth the other day, I felt compelled to listen to a number of other metal albums I used to listen to a lot when I was a kid.  

Master of Puppets - by Metallica, is one of those influential albums that I have never properly owned.   Garage Day's, And Justice For All...  were the first two albums I purchased by Metallica when I was in 4th grade and I eventually got around to owning Kill Em All on cassette also.  I just never owned Ride the Lightning or Master of Puppets for some strange reason.

I'm totally familiar with the work on the album.   I learned about the band through a Zorlac skate deck and recall seeing the shirt "Damage, Inc." and "Metal Up Your Ass" a lot in the mid 80's...  I naturally went out of my way to find out who exactly Metallica was.  

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I fell in love with them instantly.  Every song was blistering in speed and aggression...  the guitar work was equal parts elaborate and focused.  

Of all the records I used to stare at for hours on the shelf - Master of Puppets - remains atop my list of album covers I would spend hours trying to draw by hand.  If memory serves me correctly, the back of the album features a picture of the band performing in front of a stadium crowd.  I'm not sure if it's the Oakland Coliseum or from their Monsters of Rock show... but it always left an impression on me that they were fucking HUGE.

Listening to the album for the first time in nearly 15 years, I didn't look back on it as fondly as say And Justice for All...  None of the songs on this album are truly radio friendly...  the album only has 8 tracks, it weighs in just under 54 minutes and the shortest song is just over 5 minutes.  I almost found it laborious to sit through a few of the tracks...  but could not stop thinking about well put together this album is.   I have no idea how they were able to tour and perform a number of these songs live.   

Stand out Tracks:

Artists: Metallica
Album: Master of Puppets
Producer: Flemming Rasmussen
Label: Elektra
Recorded: Sweet Silence Studios

10,000 Maniacs - The Wishing Chair

Sometime around 2002, I would spend almost every lunch period at a local record store called Switched On CD's in Novi, Michigan.

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I walked in daily after eating some locally and then spent about 40 minutes pouring over the used bin - finding numerous gems for my collection.

Every now and again, I would run across a recommendation by the store owner Glen (I think his name was Glen)..  10,000 Maniacs was one of those albums.   I didn't photograph my copy of the CD to showcase his recommendation but I'll make it a point to take a photo of it and post it to this blog posting.

Haven't listened to this album in ages, but ran across a vinyl copy in a small bookstore near my sisters house.  Threw it on during breakfast to see my niece dance to it.  It worked without fail.

Stand out tracks:

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Artists: 10,000 Maniacs
Album: The Wishing Chair
Producer: Joe Boyd
Label: Elektra
Recorded: Livingstone Studios


The Cure - Wish

Spent an unusual amount of time debating what album to select on this very special day...  Valentines Day 2014.

Curiously enough... I'm now missing two Cure albums in my collection.  Perhaps someone borrowed them and hasn't returned them.  Hint. Hint.

Curiously enough... I'm now missing two Cure albums in my collection.  Perhaps someone borrowed them and hasn't returned them.  Hint. Hint.

This may come as a surprise to many, but I've always been a big fan of Valentines Day.  I've had a number of memorable ones over the years and enjoy equally whether I'm in a relationship or not.

I had originally intended to select the Belle and Sebastian album - Belle & Sebastian – Write About Love.   It seemed kinda fitting and I've never technically listened to the album in its entirety.  The disc itself was a catalyst in a break-up I had and it sorta got shelved and has never been given a proper listen.   It would have been hard to write about the album and not revisit that morning...  so I opted to pull out of doing that and focused my attention on selecting an album I loved with all my heart.

I settled on the Cure album "Wish"....  An album that seems to run hot & cold with fans of the Cure.  I think its easier to revisit than say Disintegration or Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me.  I'm apparently in the minority...

Never quite understood the sleeve art on the album...  its quite possibly the ugliest album cover for an LP that I adore.   The album contains the regrettable hit single - Friday I'm In Love - but I don't knock the band for putting out a catch number.   It's tracks like Doing the Unstuck that I wish more people would go out of their way to discover.

Yes...  a number of the songs are bloated and some border on outweighing their welcome, but it's still a very rewarding listen.

A number of the deep tracks like Trust and A Letter to Elise (my favorite on the album and the namesake of my electric guitar) continue to level me nearly 25 years after its release.

At the height of grunge... this album became a welcome change to the Soundgarden/Alice In Chains/Nirvana/Pearl Jam loop that everyone seemed to in.

Take for example the song Cut.   If I were ever shot into space on a rocket, this is the song that I would like to hear in my cosmonaut helmet.  In the event of a fiery crash, this is the song that I want blaring in my head as my life flashes before my tired eyes.

Seek it out if you've never listened to it:

Artist: The Cure
Album: Wish
Producer: Robert Smith, David M. Allen
Label: Elektra
Recorded: The Manor

Motley Crue - Too Fast For Love

One of my favorite things to do in the dark is listen to Motley Crue's - Too Fast For Love album on cassette and sign along (badly) to every fucking song on this album.

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What I should be doing this very moment...  is packing for a business trip I going on tomorrow afternoon.  Instead, I'm sitting on the couch and screeching out the lyrics to Public Enemy #1.

Do you know how it feels
to be under the gun
on the Run
Having Fun
when you're young
you're so young
When you're Young!

I'll never forget the first time I listened to Motley Crue...  I was in Lubbock, Texas - visiting some extended family and ended up in a room with kids that were a little older than I was.  I don't know if they were cousins or friends of the family, but they were freakishly nice to me.  They were huge fans of Motley Crue and recall them owning a Sega Master System.  Between taking turns playing Space Harrier, I would stare at the walls that were filled with Motley Crue posters from the Theater of Pain and Shout at the Devil tours.

They played Too Fast For Love and Shout At the Devil on what seemed like a continuous loop...  I didn't really care because the music was kinda infectious and Space Harrier was the greatest video game I had ever seen in my childhood.

I ended up becoming a pretty big Motley Crue fan but really disliked everything they did from Girls, Girls, Girls - onward.   I think my music tastes shifted a little more to heavier acts as I got older and never quite understood why the band would spend so much energy transforming themselves with every release.

Stand Out Tracks:

Artist: Motley Crue
Album: Too Fast For Love
Producer: Motley Crue, Roy Thomas Baker
Label: Elektra 
Recorded: Hit City West